McAllen receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
McAllen
Alamo
Opportunity
51 · Bottom 40%
vs43 · Bottom 22%
Growth
73 · Top 13%
vs66 · Top 22%
Climate
69 · Bottom 44%
vs69 · Bottom 44%
Physical resilience
23 · Bottom 18%
vs23 · Bottom 18%
Housing affordability
93 · Top 24%
vs100 · Top 8%
Schools
51 · Top 50%
vs14 · Bottom 5%
Access
74 · Bottom 15%
vs78 · Bottom 20%
Economic stability
39 · Bottom 17%
vs21 · Bottom 2%
Measured values
| Metric | McAllen | Alamo | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 145,385 | 20,255 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $61,579 | $57,096 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $30,885 | $21,241 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 2,331/sq mi | 2,647/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $190,400 | $145,100 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,049 | $811 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 59.5% | 74.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 5.4% | 7.0% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.1% | 0.1% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 32.5% | 18.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 20.0% | 25.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 1,445 | 86 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 9.9 | 4.2 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -6.7% | -4.4% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 99°F | 99°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 53°F | 53°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 22.2" | 22.2" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 37 mi | 29 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 22.6 min | 24.5 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 33.5 | 29.2 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 46 | 12 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 14.96 | 15.63 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 36.4% | 16.8% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 42.5% | 27.4% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 72.6% | 94.9% | 2024-25 school year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
McAllen
Elevated or high exposure: cold wave, hurricane, hail.
Alamo
Elevated or high exposure: cold wave, hurricane, hail.
Full profiles: McAllen, TX · Alamo, TX · How this is calculated: methodology